The 2024-2025 PTCAS (Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service) application cycle opened on June 17, 2024.

Apply with PTCAS

Yes. If you are a prospective undergraduate student, you can become a physical therapist in six years with the DeSales University 3+3 accelerated program! In our program, you will start your freshman year as a Health Science major. Then, upon meeting the academic requirements, you are guaranteed entry into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in year four.

Graduation Rate is defined by CAPTE as the percentage of students who matriculated in the first course in the program after the drop/add period and who ultimately completed the program. The most recent national average as reported by CAPTE was 97.6%. Our program established a threshold for this outcome measure of 95%. The Class of 2022 & 2023 graduation rates were 100%.

Employment Rate is defined by CAPTE as the percentage of graduates who sought employment and were employed (full-time or part-time) as physical therapists within one year of graduation. The most recent national average as reported by CAPTE was 99.1%. Our program consistently meets our employment rate threshold of 100% every year.

National Physical Therapy Examination Pass Rate is defined in two ways: (1) first-time pass rate of the program as compared with the national average and (2) ultimate pass rate within a program. Our program’s 2-year first time pass rate for 2023-2024 of 88.6% exceeds the national average of 85.8% for the same period of time. Our program has a consistent record of exceeding both state and national first time and ultimate pass rates.

The planned class size for the DPT program is one cohort of 28 qualified students each year.  These students are selected from a pool of approximately 150 applicants.  Application information for our admitted cohorts is as follows:

The design of the graduate curriculum is developmental in nature, with presentation of content, information, and skills becoming increasingly more complex.  As such, students must meet the following minimum progression standards in order to fully matriculate to graduation:

• Complete all courses in sequential order, with no grade less than C.  Failure of any course (C- or below) will result in dismissal from the program.  Only three C’s in the entirety of the program will be acceptable.  Students dismissed from the graduate program may appeal to the DPT Academic Review Committee (SPC) to be reinstated in the following year in order to repeat any failed course(s).  The decision to readmit the student will be based on the student’s entire academic standing at the time of the dismissal and space availability in the following cohort.
• Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in every semester.  GPA’s will be calculated at the end of each semester of the program.  In the event that a student falls below a 3.0 GPA in any semester, he/she will be placed on PT academic probation.  The student will work with PT program faculty, his/her advisor, and the program director to develop a remedial learning contract to address deficit areas.  If the student does not achieve a 3.0 GPA in the following semester or falls below the 3.0 GPA in any other subsequent semester, he/she will be dismissed from the program.  Students are allowed only one academic probation period in the entire graduate program.
• Demonstrate safe, competent, and professional behavior in all courses with laboratory components by passing all practical examinations with no grade below 80% on any exam.  A grade below 80% on any lab practical exam may result in the student being placed on PT academic probation, followed by an Academic Review Committee decision to determine a remediation plan or dismissal from the program.  No more than two failed lab practical exams will be acceptable in the entire graduate program.
• Maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA and demonstrate safe, professional behavior prior to participation in any clinical education course.  All clinical education courses must be passed in order to progress in the curriculum.  Course grades in any clinical education rotation are determined collaboratively between the clinical site instructor and the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education.  Failure of any clinical rotation results in dismissal from the program.
• Maintain satisfactory progress on the Professional Behaviors Assessment Tool and the individual Professional Development Portfolio.

All transcripts from any degree-granting institution outside the United States must be evaluated by a NACES approved evaluation service with the resulting report submitted with the DPT program application.  Please visit  www.naces.org for additional information.  

International applicants from a country where the official language is other than English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Please visit www.ets.org for additional information. DeSales University’s institutional reporting code is 002021.

The mission of the DeSales University Doctor of Physical Therapy program is to provide a quality physical therapy education consistent with Christian humanism and Salesian values of service, faith and reason. Students and graduates use their knowledge and skills to integrate scientific inquiry and evidence-based clinical reasoning into everyday practice, addressing the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of movement dysfunctions. With a focus on social responsibility and ethical conduct, students and graduates are committed to the advancement of the physical therapy profession and to an ongoing personal desire for learning and growth. Through inter-professional communication and collaboration, graduates are prepared to be adaptable in the complex healthcare environment of today and tomorrow.